Eight people went missing at sea near Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano. These include five journalists, two crew members and a guide. The rescue team is carrying out search operations in the Sunda Strait with the help of five ships.
Jakarta: A massive search and rescue operation is underway in Indonesia after eight people went missing in the sea area around the active volcano Anak Krakatoa. According to officials, the missing include five photojournalists, two sailors and a route guide. The group was headed to the island by sea to report on the volcano's recent eruption. The missing people have not been contacted since Monday evening. Rescue teams have been searching for him since Tuesday, but he could not be located till Wednesday. Volcanic activity is still high and officials have warned of the possibility of further eruptions.
Lost contact with speedboat going towards Anak Krakatoa
According to Al Amarad, head of the search and rescue office in Banten province, eight people had set sail in a speedboat from the coastal town of Carita towards the volcanic island.
Five photojournalists, two crew members and a route guide were present in the boat. The family members of a journalist aboard the boat received the last message at 6:13 pm on Monday evening. It was told that the group had reached the sea area around Anak Krakatoa.
There has been no news of the group since then. His last known location is said to be about 18.5 kilometers away from the coast.
Amarad said rescue teams have been deployed since Tuesday, but till now contact with the missing people has not been established nor has their exact location been ascertained.
Five journalists associated with different media organizations
The five missing journalists work for various media organizations based in Indonesia and Turkey. These include journalists associated with Indonesia's government news agency Antara, Turkey's Anadolu Agency, Indonesia's Merdeka and iNews.
The fifth person is a freelance photographer. The purpose of the group was to photograph and report on activities taking place around the volcano.
The families of the missing journalists have reached the port office in Carita and are waiting for information about their relatives. The families are becoming increasingly worried even as authorities continue to search the marine area.
Search operation extended in Sunda Strait
The scope of the rescue operation was expanded on Wednesday. Authorities launched a search in the maritime area from Carita to Rakata and Panjang islands. Apart from this, the waters around Sebesi and Legundi islands have also been included in the search area.
Five ships have been deployed in the operation, including two naval ships. Apart from the National Search and Rescue Agency, army and police personnel are also participating in the operation.
Pictures and videos released by the rescue agency showed personnel searching the marine area using boats. The team's focus is on the area where the missing people's boat was last contacted.
Volcano erupted for about 25 hours over the weekend
Anak Krakatoa witnessed nearly 25 hours of continuous volcanic activity over the weekend. According to the Geology Agency of Indonesia, even after this the volcano is intermittently active.
During the eruption, lava, ash and extremely hot volcanic material are coming out from the crater. The agency said on Wednesday that the volcanic activity is still at a high level and there is a possibility of further eruptions.
According to officials, in case of continuous eruption, dangers like volcanic bombs, heavy ash fall and lava flows may arise.
People advised to stay away from active crater
Authorities have already imposed security restrictions regarding Anak Krakatoa. The volcano has been at Indonesia's second-highest alert level since July.
The local administration has advised residents, tourists and fishermen to stay at least 3 kilometers away from the active crater. Given the current volcanic activity, travel at sea can also be risky.
The incident of boat carrying missing people reaching near the volcano and subsequent loss of contact has also raised questions about following safety instructions in such sensitive areas. However, officials have not yet said whether the boat had entered any restricted area or not.
Air traffic also affected due to volcanic activity
The impact of the recent eruptions of Anak Krakatoa was not limited to the surrounding marine areas. Airports had to be closed on Sunday and Monday due to volcanic ash.
A total of 2,961 flights were affected, including 622 international flights. About 3.41 lakh passengers were affected.
Volcanic ash can pose a serious threat to aircraft operations. For this reason, restrictions were imposed on air traffic in view of the conditions like spread of ash and visibility.
Online studies allowed in ash affected areas
The government has allowed schools in areas affected by volcanic ash to temporarily conduct online classes.
The move is aimed at protecting students from direct exposure to volcanic ash present in the air. The presence of ash in the affected areas can affect people's health and daily activities.
The government and local administration are currently monitoring the activity of the volcano and the spread of ash.
The history of Anak Krakatoa has also been very destructive.
Anak Krakatoa means “child of Krakatoa” in Indonesian. The volcano emerged from the remains of Krakatoa in the region, whose massive 1883 eruption ranks among the most destructive volcanic events in history.
The 1883 eruption largely destroyed the Krakatoa volcano and resulted in a brief global drop in temperatures.
The eruption of Anak Krakatoa in December 2018 generated a tsunami. At least 430 people died in the disaster on the islands of Sumatra and Java.
Due to this historical background, the current activity of Anak Krakatoa is under constant surveillance by authorities and scientific agencies.
Continuous volcanic activity in Indonesia due to Ring of Fire
There are more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The country is located in the “Ring of Fire” region of the Pacific Ocean. It is a series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean, where most of the world's seismic activity occurs.
Due to this geographical location, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common occurrences in Indonesia. The current activity at Anak Krakatoa is part of this wider geological area.
Search continues for eight people
At present the biggest priority is to trace the eight missing people. Rescue agencies have expanded the maritime search area and teams from the Navy, Army, Police and National Search and Rescue Agency are engaged in a joint operation.
According to officials, contact with the missing group could not be established till Wednesday. Rescue teams are searching for them amidst sea conditions and volcanic activity.
Due to the constant activity of Anak Krakatoa, extra precautions are being taken during the expedition. This operation also remains challenging for the rescue workers in view of the potential danger of lava, ash and hot material coming out of the volcano.
Now all eyes are on how long will it take to trace the five journalists, two crew members and a route guide who were missing at sea.